John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau

John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (b. Dessau, 7 September 1596 - d. Dessau, 15 September 1660), was a German prince member of the House of Ascania and ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Dessau.

He was the third but second surviving son of John George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, and the first-born from his second marriage with Dorothea, daughter of John Casimir of Simmern.

Life

After his instruction with tutors during his first years, John Casimir studied with his cousin Christian II of Anhalt-Bernburg in Geneva from 1608 to 1609; his tutors were the "Hofmeisters" Markus Friedrich Wendelin and Peter von Sebottendorf.

The death of his older brother, the Hereditary Prince Joachim Ernest in 1615 made him the new heir of Dessau. Two years later, in 1617, his uncle Louis of Anhalt-Köthen made him a member of the Fruitbearing Society. In the Köthen society book he appears under the No 10.

In 1618, after the death of his father, John Casimir succeeded him in Anhalt-Dessau; but the task of government were made by a group of representants of the Dessau court, because the new prince spend much of his time dedicated to hunt.

Precisely, a hunting accident on 4 October 1652 left him in bed several years. During this time, in order to distract him, the famous poet and writer Philipp von Zesen was included in his household.

Marriages and Issue

In Dessau on 18 May 1623 John Casimir married firstly with Agnes (b. Kassel, 13 April 1606 - d. Dessau, 28 May 1650), daughter of Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. They had six children:
#Maurice, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (b. Dessau, 7 November 1624 - d. Dessau, 30 December 1624).
#Dorothea (b. Dessau, 24 October 1625 - d. Dessau, 21 July 1626).
#Juliane (b. Dessau, 17 September 1626 - d. Dessau, 30 November 1652).
#John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (b. Dessau, 7 November 1627 - d. Berlin, 17 August 1693).
#Louise (b. Dessau, 10 February 1631 - d. Wohlau, 25 April 1680), married on 24 November 1648 Christian, Duke of Liegnitz.
#Agnes (b. Dessau, 12 March 1644 - d. Dessau, 13 May 1644).

In Dessau on 14 July 1651 John Casimir married secondly with his cousin Sophie Margarete (b. Amberg, 16 September 1615 - d. Dessau, 27 December 1673), daughter of Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg. The union was childless.